Chapter 72: Worrying about the wrong person

Zephyr was unaware of the many shocked eyes fixed upon him. Even if he had known, he would not have cared. He stood atop a large, floating boulder at the very peak of the mountain of rubble, manipulating the debris around him with his Psychokinesis.

Massive chunks of stone shot through the air, crushing monsters beneath their weight before rising again to join the mountain.

Keeping so much rubble suspended and under his control required intense focus.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing had grown slightly heavier, but compared to the first time he had used Psychokinesis to move a large number of objects, his condition was way better.

Perhaps his growing familiarity with the skill was partly responsible. Or perhaps it was because Zephyr knew that Lucien was watching him. Either way, he was relaxed enough to even mutter jokingly to himself.

"I wonder if I am causing enough chaos."

Suddenly, his ear twitched as he caught a dazed curse coming from somewhere in the distance. The bewilderment in it made his lips curl. A chuckle escaped him as he listened, amused by what he had heard.

It was Lucien’s voice.

After all, despite the deafening roars and loud shouts all around him, he kept his ears tuned to Lucien, making sure he would not miss a single word if Lucien said anything.

Meanwhile, far away, Lucien sat slumped atop the ruins of the building Zephyr had left him, staring at the scene before him.

"Motherfucker... I was just joking. He actually took my words literally."

Lucien did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had only told Zephyr, ’Let’s cause chaos,’ in a moment of excitement after realizing that the only SSS-Rank Esper in existence was about to follow his lead.

Even his earlier words about believing in Zephyr and his abilities had been mostly intended to boost Zephyr’s confidence.

But now, as he watched the mountain of floating rubble in the distance and the rain of massive chunks of concrete effortlessly crushing so many powerful monsters, he could not help but wonder whether Zephyr still remembered his warning about not pushing his powers to the point of losing control and then ending up going berserk.

And another question bothered him even more.

How could this SSS-Rank Esper already be so proficient with his skills...? Normally, it took time for Espers to master their skills.

Had Zephyr somehow found out that he was a SSS-Rank Esper? And if so, how?

What exactly was going on?

Lucien stared blankly at the scene before him, feeling dizzy from the stimulation.

Could someone please explain this to him?

Simultaneously, among the S-Rank Espers battling the S-Rank monsters, Erick was the first to recognize Zephyr after they noticed the commotion and caught sight of him.

Erick’s golden eyes flickered slightly.

"Zephyr?"

He muttered, wanting to take a closer look to confirm one more time. But he could not afford to break away from the battle. The S-Rank monsters before them were simply too powerful, and taking his eyes off them for even a moment could prove dangerous.

All he could do was spread his mana to watch Zephyr with the help of his senses.

Still... he finally understood who the powerful mana he had sensed in the Association last night belonged to.

It belonged to Zephyr.

The other S-Rank Espers around Erick were also secretly keeping a close eye on Zephyr.

Even as they continued fighting the S-Rank monsters, their gazes occasionally drifted toward the unfamiliar figure standing atop the mountain of floating rubble. This was the first time they had ever seen someone utilize such a powerful Telekinesis skill on this scale while appearing so unfazed by it.

They knew better than anyone how exhausting it was to unleash such a massive amount of mana.

Even for S-Rank Espers like them, continuously using their abilities on such a large scale without allowing themselves any time to recover was simply unsustainable.

That was why they carefully controlled every use of their abilities, doing everything they could to conserve their mana throughout the battle.

Yet... that Esper controlling the mountain of rubble was expending mana at an astonishing rate, as though his reserves were completely inexhaustible.

No matter how much rubble he moved or how many times he unleashed his power, he showed no signs of slowing down.

Even Erick, the most famous Esper in the entire Awakened Association, had never displayed or used so much mana at once!

Just... how much mana did he have?

Suddenly, the question flashed through everyone’s mind. For a brief moment, the S-Rank Espers were unusually quiet. And then, one of them suddenly suggested.

"I do not know who he is, but call him over. We need more support on our side to win!"

Erick’s brows knitted together at his words. But before he could say anything, another S-Rank Esper from M City, a man who had also recognized Zephyr, let out a quiet sigh.

"He’s a blind Esper... I do not know how he can use such a powerful Telekinesis skill and also maintain it for such a long time, but if I remember correctly, his rank was B?"

The others frowned at his words.

Their gazes returned to Zephyr.

Only then did they notice his empty eyes.

So he was blind.

Even so, they found it difficult to believe that Zephyr was really only a B-Rank Esper.

After witnessing the power and extent of his Telekinesis, they all suspected that the testing machine must have made an error.

There was no way someone capable of wielding such overwhelming power could be only B-Rank... or so they thought.

Still, regardless of his actual rank, they could not help but feel that it was a pity that someone with such a powerful skill and large mana reserves was blind.

While they were fighting the S-Rank monsters and lamenting the fact that Zephyr was blind, something shocking suddenly happened on Zephyr’s side.

He actually jumped down from the mountain of rubble!

Zephyr’s sudden jump also revealed his figure to the lower-ranked Espers fighting throughout the battlefield. Even Sylvia and Ryan, who had been searching for the user of such a powerful Telekinesis skill from afar, were shocked to discover that it was him when they finally caught sight of him!

Everyone watched as his body plummeted straight into the horde of monsters below.

Erick’s eyes contracted as he sensed the sudden movement through his mana as well. He was so shocked and startled that he momentarily stopped fighting, his eyes snapping toward Zephyr’s figure instantly.

That brief distraction was all the S-Rank monster Erick had been fighting needed.

The crab-like monster, with four horns and six crimson eyes, immediately seized the opportunity. Its massive, shell-covered tail whipped toward Erick with terrifying force.

Erick failed to react in time. The heavy tail slammed into his body, sending him flying through the air before he crashed heavily into a fallen building, the impact sending fragments of debris swirling around him.

The other S-Rank Espers were shocked.

They had all witnessed what had just happened, yet for a moment, none of them could quite believe what they had seen.

Erick had been distracted!

In all the years they had known him, they had never once seen Erick become so distracted that he failed to react to an incoming monster attack!

Ever since he had learned to wield his power, Erick had rarely, if ever, made such a basic mistake. His battle instincts were so sharp that even they could not be confident they would ever manage to land a hit on him.

There was a reason Erick was so highly regarded within the Association.

Yet this time, he had completely let his guard down.

And all because of an unknown Blind Esper?

"Erick!"

One of the S-Rank Espers immediately shouted his name, but before he could do anything, he was attacked as well, the force of the blow sending him flying backward.

Erick had been holding back one of the S-Rank monsters alone, all by himself.

With him suddenly knocked out of the battle, the balance shifted instantly.

The remaining S-Rank Espers were immediately overwhelmed. The five monsters, no longer being properly restrained, unleashed their attacks with even greater ferocity, forcing the other Espers into a desperate struggle just to hold their ground.

Erick coughed up blood as he slowly dragged himself out of the debris, his body aching from the impact. Several S-Rank Espers were shouting his name in the distance, but he paid them no attention.

His eyes stayed fixed on Zephyr’s direction. Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, Erick quickly straightened himself and rose into the air, prepared to rush toward him.

But just as he was about to move, a large cloud of pitch-black energy suddenly began spreading from the place where Zephyr had fallen, rapidly engulfing the surrounding area in darkness.

Erick froze.

For a moment, he simply stared at the growing darkness. Then, despite the blood staining his lips, a low laugh escaped him.

"Hah... I suppose I have been worrying about the wrong person this entire time."